Fabric fastener



April 5, 1960 DEXTER, 2,931,747

FABRIC FASTENER Filed Feb. 11, 1957 F/ea ff fiexfer i INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY My invention relates to a new and improved adhesive fastenerfor securing fabrics together temporarily. It is particularly useful inan installation where a joint of temporary duration is required on afabric which subsequently is to be subjected to an operation whichrequires immersion in water, such as washing. An example of such aninstallation is in securing a diaper about a baby.

' hired States Patent the joint are resisted in maximum strength undershear by all three bonded areas but a peeling action applied to the bondarea between the fastener strips separates them readily. In addition tothis novel fastener structure, I also propose that not only the adhesivebut the strips themselves be formedof a water soluble material so thatthe severed fastener elements can be removed! from the fabric anddisposed of during laundering. Certain synthetic materials have beendeveloped which possess the characteristics necessary for use in myfastener. A material which I have found, to be particularly suitable isa synthetic sheet material known as polyvinyl alcohol film.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference should be had tothe drawings, wherein Fig. 1 represents a specific installation of myfastener,

securing a diaper to a baby;

The conventional means for joiningfabric together is the timeconsuming-process of pinning with either straight.

or safety pins.' Attempts to adaptadhesive strips or the liketemporarily to secure fabrics together have'met with little success dueto strong bond between the fabric and joined an overload must be appliedto the joint. With conventional adhesive fasteners the overload, unableto break the fastener, is reacted into the surrounding fabric, tearingit or straining it to a degree perhaps not discernible in oneapplication but sufiicient to tear it in repeated applications. Attemptsto reduce the strength of the fastener to alleviate stress on the fabricby reducing the amount of adhesivearea or reducing the adhesive strengthobviously results in a sacrifice in holding power.

Moreover, in the specific application wherein I anticipate maximumutility, the application of diapers, mothers have been forced to choosebetween the elusive and fabricweakening safety pin or, in some diapers,snap fasteners which, being affixed to the diaper, provide only limited.

size. adjustment.

Therefore, it is an object of my invention to provide.

anadhesive fastener particularly designed for use with fabrics whichproduces a temporary joint of maximum strength under working loads'butwhich is easily severable without any damaging stresses beingtransmitted to the fabric to which it is applied.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an adhesive fastenerfor producing a strength joint between fabric sheets which does notrequire stripping by force from the fabric to which it is attached afterit is no longer needed, but is removable by immersion in water.

' It is a further object of my invention to provide an adhesive fastenerfor fabrics which may be removed from the fabric and disposed of byimmersion in Water.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an adhesive fabricfastener which is particularly adaptable to fitting a diaper underdesired tension about a baby.

In carrying out my invention I provide an adhesive fastener comprisingtwo strips of a flexible sheet material, each of which is coated on oneside only with an adhesive. One of the strips is placed on top of theother strip and a portion of its adhesive coating activated to securethe strips together. The remaining portion of its adhesive area isavailable for attachment to one element of the fabric joint. Theadhesive coating of the underlying strip is available for attachment tothe other element of-the'fabric joint. Forces tending to separate Fig. 2is a perspective view of my fastener prior to application; a

Fig. 3 is a section view of a typical installation of my fastener,illustrating the manner in which the joint is formed; j e Fig. 4 shows ajoint formed with my fastener as it is severed? Fig. 5 is a view inperspection of a second form of my fastener as applied to-complete ajoint; and

Fig. 6 is a section view of a third embodiment of my fastener. i I

Referring still to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 2, I have shownmy fabric fastener 1 comprising two strips of a thin flexible material 2and 3. Each strip 2 and 3 has a coating 4 and 5 of an adhesive materialon: one side thereof. The strip 2 is placed on strip 3 and alignedcoextensively therewith, the adhesive side of strip 2 lying against theungummed side of strip 3. The strips are joined by adhering strip 2 tostrip 3 over the area 6 adjacent to one pair of aligned side edges 7.Beyond the area 6 over which strip 1 is adhered to strip 2 its adhesivecoating 4 is exposed. Of course, the entire gummed surface of strip 3 isexposed and may be used for attachment.

In Fig. 3, the fastener of Fig. 2 is pictured in use. One loose end 8 ofthe fabric which is to be joined is located so that it overlaps theother loose end 9 thereof. The fastener is placed in position so thatthe exposed adhesive coating 4of strip 2 is secured to the overlying end8 of the fabric and the adhesivecoating 5 of the other strip 3 issecured to the surface of the underlying fabric 9. With the adhesivefaces 4 and 5 of strips 2 and 3 being attached to the fabric ends 8 and9, respectively, the fabric joint is completed by the adhesive area 6along the side edges common to both strips.

My fastener is designed to produce maximum holding strength underworking loads. For example, in the diaper application illustrated inFig. 1, substantially all working' loads are due to waist expansion,i.e., in a circumferential direction tending'to separate the diaperends. The force exerted by a babys mid-section during breathing and bystomach expansion at feeding can be considerable and the need for-astrong joint at the diaper ends is great In the case of adhesivefasteners it is necessary to resist? such forces in shear wherein theentire adhesively bondedf area works to resist the load. Referring toFig. l", a fastener 10 may be placed at the top edge of the diaper sidewaistband 11 to secure the side waistband to the front 12 of the diaper.In the case of fastener 10 the load is longitudinal with respectthereto. However, if' desired, a fastener 13 may be placed at the end ofthe waistband side 14, in which case the load is transverse to thecommon side edge 13a. In either case, the fle'xi bility of the fabricand the fastener permits an, alignment of the fabric and the fastenersubstantially in the' plane Patented Apr. 5, 1960 a of-"th'e' load.Consequently; all of the force is resisted in-shear by'the-bonded areasbetween the fastener elements and the fabric and in.the common adhesivearea between the elements. Since the full resistance of the adhesive"areasis developed,- maximum holding" strength issachieved:

' When it is desired to sever the "jointasin'removingthe diaper, thecommon; bonded' area 6' between-the strips provides a novel 'meansof.release thatxdoes's nor-require strippingj' the fastener from thefabric' and th'us'avoids damage to; the fabric. To breakithe'jointoneneed merely to grasp thefastener strips 2. and 3 (in-Fig. 3)

or the surrounding fabric ends 8 and9; separately-andpullin a directionto peel the common adhesive bond: apart. Again, each. fastenerelementwill align itself with" the fabric so that the loads betweeneach, fabric end and its fastener element are. in shear. Consequently,suchpeeling developsathe full'strength of the adhesive areas 4 and 5.butthe peelingof the fastener element is resisted merely by a lineofadhesive at the juncture of the two strips which moves progressivelyacrossthe common load area 6'during the peeling operation.Thisresistance is easily overcome and separation is facilitated;

'Refe'rringinow to Fig; 4'; the fastener jointis shown,

being severed, the separation occurring at'the adhesively joined ends ofthe strips. It illustrates the tendency of my joint to hinder suchpeeling actionthrough the fastener itself. rather than to damage thefabric.

The manner in which the. joint fails .is' of particular significance inmy invention. Neitherthe strip. Zattachedto the overlying fabric 8'northe strip 3"atta'che,d-.

willfoccur, as shown in Fig. 4 if a. minimum, noninjurious amountof bondstrength. is developedand peeling loads. Under. suchkloads, the common.adhesive area 6 constitutes an .appreciablyweaker area andfailure atthispoint .willoccurbefore damagingloads.

are applied to. the joint.

can be developed in the joined fabric.

ltiszasfurtherfeature. of my inventionthat it .isicompletely unnecessaryto. strip. any adhesive fastener. element. fnomntliezfabric. With, therelatively. irregular surface -of, fabric .,the. adhesion ofa. gummedftape, is frequently so.- ggcatthat attemptsfto'separate.the tworesultsin the;

rupture of threads. Inthecase of. infants? diapers where my;-gummed..fastener has particular. utility, the. repeated.

removal of gummed strips. that would otherwise be. necesv sary wouldappreciablyshorten thelife.of.,the diaper. To :avoid this I propose touse.water soluble adhesives.

4' and. on myfastener .so. that they will ,be. separated from the diaperupon .irnmersioninwaten; Since diapers obviously have to be.launderedvafter;having. .been:worn,, no, extra. operation. is required.

' Moreover, the. subsequentdisposalzof .the., componentst after theirremoval is. not .a problem.with.,my preferred,

embodiment... The material of which the; fastener. is; formediuis. watersoluble. and the subsequent immersion, ofi;the. diaper ,in, water.during ;the.,washing .operation will.

dissolyetthe; fastener. Sheet, material. of.,,polyvinyl alcor holtfilmis; preferredfor such. use. It. dissolves, com-.

pletely inthe wash water and leaves-no residual. deposit.

on the diaper. Aftenthe. diaper-is, clean anddry, it. may, be.equippedwitnnew. fasteners- Fasteners may be ap; plied .repeatedly. atthesamelocation on. the. diaper Wilhr out weakening the. fabric...

Myjnvention hasparticular utility ina. commercial. diaper.;se1:vice;-euterprise. Clean. diapers with my: fas:

tenets. partially afli'xed .to thetsider edges .11 and 14.,or, Oat-11G-front .portion, 12, may be .S11Ppil.d tQ.. the. user.

The forcenecessary to separate. this.

' the diaper is removed fromthe baby, it may be returned to thediaperservice with the loose fastener ends still attached. When the diaper;is.laundered the fastener components are disposed of. simultaneously.Subsequently, the clean, dry diaper isre=supplied with fasteners andreturnedto mother. for reuse;

A diaperso equipped has great utility because it frees the mother of thenecessity for reaching-for someobject, such as a safety'p in,,wl1i1eattemptingtqhold the diaper in place. Presupplying the diaper withintegral fasteners eliminates the problems of locating and affixing asecuring element. It reduces the diaper changing process to a moresimpleoperation.

A second' embodiment of my-inventionis shown in. Fig. 5. Theretwo'gumrned' strips20 and 21 are aligned longitudinally andoverlappedendto end; Theadhesive- 22 on the overlapping strip'2t) doesnot extend over th'e entire surface thereof. Thus, there is acommonibond Ebr-.example;. a:fastenermay be .attachedto each. of'ithe.15

23 between the. twostrips and anunattached portion 24 of the overlappedsegment that is-not attached to strip- 21. With this form of fastener,the underlying adhesive" strip 21' will be. attachedto one fabric end25' andf the overlying;strip fattachedto the other fabric end- 26. and"the joint is completed by1the. overlapped segmentwith a; commonadhesivebondZS. In'this modification; as in". thezemb'odiment of Figs. lto'4;the full strength ofeachtadhesive area is developedundernormalloads-in'shear: However,. to sever the fabric joint,. oneneed-"merely grasp the'unattach'ed portion 24 of the overlapped seg mentand peel, it from the underlying segment 21. Agair'n, the commonadhesive area 23 constitutes the: weakestlink in the chainof'attachment'and failure-at? this, point will occur before. damagingloads can be de: veloped' in the fabric. r

I prefer to supply my fastener to the. user as a'com= plete unit with'the two ends already joined. By so doing Iinsure that the two ends, thecritical section,of thefastener, are securely joined'soas to.produceuniform strength. Hbweven. the. stripscould 1. be supplied." andapplied to. the: fabric. separately. andjoined at. their ends:asthefiualloperationr I1have .cb.osen. tojdescribe andlill'nstrate my"fastener. joining two fabric ends which are initially placedonc. overthe other. However, my fastener could.be,-.used'to join. fabric. ends.which are abutting rather than..over-. lapping and. the resultwouldbethe. same. For all in; stallationsinwhichmy fastener is applied..to.aflexible. snrface,.it ,will. react under load. as described. This.follows from the fact that afiexible surfaceisfreeto. align itselftoresist. loads along its own length, that. is, inthe. directionin which,it. is strongest.

A.furthe.r embodiment. of. my, invention is. sh.own..i!r; Fig. 6 whereinthe. fastenerelements- 30. and 3Lare; ap;- plied separately tothe.fabric.ends;.32 and33, respectively; The overlappingfabric end,32.is provided .withanopening .34 therethrongh, so that a p ortion..35of the-adhesive. coating 36 .on-thetop fastener. element. 3.0.isexposedz. Thus; to. complete: the. fabric joint. the. adhesive.coating portion; 35 .need. merely: be activated ;.to secure .the.;top,fastener; element, 30 to .the uncoated. side of .the bottom.fastenerelementfil.

While the preferredembodiments-of .my inventionhavee been shown, anddescribed, it is obvious. many modifica!- tionsthereof. can be made byone skilled inthe art with: out departing from.the-1-spirit ofmyinvention. It;is,. therefore,-. desired, to protect by Letters Patent.all forms. of the,-invention falling-withinlthe-scope of the following;claim..

In... combination.. with... two members; having: parallel.

surfaces thereof in overlapping relationship, a temporary fastenersecuring said surfaces together to resist a relative force therebetweenexerted in shear along the planes thereof, said fastener comprising apair of elements of sheet material, means adhesively and securelyconnecting one side of each of said elements over substantially theentire area thereof to one only of said overlapping surfaces, said pairof elements being arranged in face to face engagement separable adhesivemeans joining the adjacent sides of said pair of elements together overa portion only of the areas thereof leaving other portions of saidadjacent sides unjoined, said separable adhesive means being ofsufiicient strength to withstand and support said relative force butbeing of lesser strength than said securely connecting means and therebyconditioned to permit separation of said elements and said overlappingsurfaces by applying moderate tension to said separable adhesive meansin a direction transverse to said adjacent sides.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSCrowell Apr. 8, Brady et al. Feb. 21, Humphner Feb. 9, King Dec. 28,Denison Feb. 1, Eustis Sept. 18, Godoy May 14, Marks Apr. 27, OakleyAug. 28, Ferdon June 25, Connally May 13,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 23,

